The COVID-19 pandemic has shaken up the life of almost every person on the planet. While for some of us, life continues as before, others have found it difficult to adjust to the many changes our society is being subjected to.
Among one of the worst things about the pandemic is isolation. Exposing ourselves to the virus puts our health at risk and can potentially help spread it. The best choice is to remain indoors as much as possible until it is all over, but that’s no easy job, either, since loneliness is a bad companion.
If you’re wondering how you’re going to enjoy Thanksgiving with all of the restrictions in place, then read on, as we’ve prepared the best advice we could gather on how to appreciate the holidays without worrying about the outside world!
Why Should I Celebrate Thanksgiving?
To show your appreciation for your friends, family, and loved ones, of course! Thanksgiving means something different for each person, but nobody can deny that the period is full of joyous festivities and get-togethers that blossom into renewed bonds and prosperous relationships.
Whether or not you particularly enjoy Thanksgiving, gathering together with the people you care about is soul food for the, well, soul. Humans are social creatures, and we need a little bit of human interaction no matter how introverted we might feel. So it doesn’t matter if you like turkey or not - Thanksgiving is about more than just that!
The Origin of Thanksgiving
The city of Plymouth, Massachusetts - also called “America’s Hometown” - is one of the most popular and well-known urban centers of the United States. It was first founded in 1620 when a group of English settlers known as the Mayflower Pilgrims landed in the area and established a colony.
Plymouth is so famous because it is there that the Pilgrims were saved by the very Native Americans whose land they encroached on. The natives had lived there for thousands of years and were naturally afraid when the pilgrims first arrived, yet saw that they had not come to war, as they had brought women and children with them.
The first Native American to engage them was Samoset, a subordinate chief of the Abenaki tribe, who is reputed to have entered their camp alone, greeting them by saying “welcome” in broken English (by a settler’s account) and asking for beer to trade.
Shortly before the Pilgrims arrived, the area’s locals, the Patuxet Indians, succumbed to disease - all but one, a former English slave by the name of Tisquantum, who want sent to aid the Pilgrims on behalf of Samoset, who had befriended them.
Tisquantum taught the Pilgrims how to survive in the New World and how to adapt to the land. He showed them how to catch eel and grow corn, two things which they had struggled with, and served as an interpreter between the various Native American tribes.
Unfortunately, Tisquantum also died of the disease barely a year after joining the Pilgrims.
Although their guide was gone, his spirit emboldened their own. The first Thanksgiving feast was a harvest feast, or more simply, a celebration after successfully collecting the harvest. The Pilgrims made a lot of noise during the feast, which attracted the nearby tribes, who believed an invasion would occur.
Instead, the Pilgrims welcomed them with open arms to the feast to share in their harvest; the Native Americans said thank you - we will contribute with our own food as well. Almost four hundred years later, the idea of Thanksgiving has proven time and time again to unite people from widely different cultures, backgrounds, and beliefs.
3 Reasons You Should Do Thanksgiving
There are different strokes for different people, and the reasons we’ve presented here might not reflect an incentive to attend Thanksgiving. But, on the other hand, if you don’t enjoy the idea of Thanksgiving in the first place, then, by all means, do something you enjoy instead!
Festive Atmosphere
We all know that feeling that is in the air when Christmas is around, right? Thanksgiving, although obviously different, has enough history to really change the ambiance of almost every neighborhood. A lot of people enjoy the upbeat attitude that is prevalent during Thanksgiving. Besides - we don’t need more reasons to celebrate!
If the festivities lead you to go on a shopping spree, then make sure to grab a reusable grocery bag with you! We harm the environment a lot whenever we use and discard plastic bags, so let’s show it a little love during Thanksgiving.
Leisure Time
Everybody likes to kick back and relax during the holidays! Sports channels tend to broadcast incessantly during this period, and many of the games are important to fans as well. Even if you’re not into watching sports and yelling at the TV screen, sitting indoors and binge-watching movies or shows isn’t a bad way to spend your Thanksgiving. After all, aren’t the holidays for R&R?
Hearty Food
Cutting up a turkey at the dinner table is one of the most iconic Thanksgiving experiences. In truth, many American families do not even take the holiday seriously unless there’s turkey carving involved, which has become a ritual at this point.
Regardless of whether or not you have an aptitude for fowl, you cannot deny that sharing the turkey with the people you care about is more than just a simple experience. However, if turkey doesn’t quite get along that well with your taste buds, then what about pumpkin pie instead?
5 Ways to Deal with COVID Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is typically spent with other people. We’re going through a full-blown pandemic, however, which has made it invariably difficult to stay in close contact with the people we like. Fortunately, we can shop safely online without having to worry about catching the virus from the nearby convenience store.
But even though we’re forced to isolate ourselves for more than half of the COVID Thanksgiving period, we can always find time and space to gather with friends and family and pretend the world is perfectly fine.
Knowing how to do so, then, is half the battle. With busy work schedules and surprises frequently ruining our well-planned calendars, the average Thanksgiver finds themselves pressed for time and resources before the holiday arrives in earnest.
Here’s a couple of ways you can keep the Thanksgiving period in full bloom and have fun at the same time.
Play Games or Dress Up
It’s all fun and games! Thanksgiving is a holiday, but it doesn’t mean it has to be solemn. If anything, many cities from across the United States have taken a more jolly approach than usual when it comes to COVID Thanksgiving. The pandemic has gotten us all acting weird.
Consider the variety of themed games you have at your disposal. They’re endless! How about turkey tag? That doesn’t mean chasing a turkey around so you can slap a sticker on it, but your friends? Fair game, so go get ‘em! Chase them around the house while yelling, “Run, turkey, run!” at the top of your lungs and count yourself lucky for having a memorable holiday.
If you’re into fashion, aesthetics, or just want to look cool for the holiday, then you might want to play dress up. Theoretically, there are no limits to what you can wear. For example, a police officer’s costume might not be particularly fitting, but don’t let anything stop you. Our suggestion for a good Thanksgiving outfit is to go for a whole lot of orange.
Make sure not to invite too many people to your party. COVID-19 is scary, and we’d like you to stay safe.
Thanksgiving Video Call
Unfortunately, not everyone might be able to show up to your get-together. Technology has got your back, though. All you need to do is download an application that will allow you to video call your guests. It might not be the same as being there in person, but if all of the participants are willing, then a Skype Thanksgiving will be better than none at all.
A good way to make up for the awkwardness of watching each other eat on camera would be to have one of you direct it towards a media source. That way, you can all watch TV together and pretend you’re in the same room.
COVID solutions for COVID Thanksgiving problems, right?
Offer a Couple of Gifts
Showing the people close to you that you care is one of the best choices you could make. We all need a little love and appreciation, and although many of us don’t have the emotional courage to express our affection in the way that we’d like, a simple gesture such as a gift is sure to make an impression.
Our suggestion? Gift some Thanksgiving goodie bags! They’re simple, effective, and oh-so practical.
Volunteer Work
If you’ve ever thought about doing volunteer work, then there’s no better time to get started than Thanksgiving. COVID-19 might put you at risk of health complications, but not everyone is as lucky as to have a home to hide in. A few hours spent helping out at a soup kitchen could make a huge difference for the people you’ll interact with. A simple, heartfelt smile can be enough to make their day.
Volunteer work is great for several reasons. Besides the fact that you’re helping the disfavored and making their life a little easier, your body and soul will feel rejuvenated. One of the best ways to feel alive is by making sure other people around you also have a good life. And besides, if you give to the universe, the universe will give back.
Don’t do it expect a reward from all-encompassing God, though. Instead, do it for yourself and for the downtrodden. We all deserve some love!
Make Compost
Pumpkins are a Thanksgiving mascot. Most of us buy them from the supermarket, or the farmer’s market, though a select few choose to grow them by themselves. If you’re part of the green thumb elite and would like to ensure your pumpkin harvest yield is high and tasty, then making several large batches of compost could be a superb pre-feast notion.
Believe it or not, staying outdoors in the cold and mashing dead leaves and food waste together in a barrel is many people’s definition of a good Thanksgiving. And trust us - the turkey will taste much better after you’ve spent a couple of hours in the cold.
Oh, yeah - if this year’s compost is getting a little boring - or, really, if you just need a biodegradable container - then throw in a compostable bag in the mix and watch it dissolve in the slush! Who would have thought throwing a shopping bag into compost soup would increase its nutritional value?
Disclaimer: The linked compostable bags are made from 100% plant-based ingredients and do not harm the environment if used irresponsibly. They decompose naturally at the speed of exposed food and do not leave behind any toxic materials.
Your Usual Thanksgiving, But Different
Everyone’s plans have been drastically changed and shaken all over. While, without a doubt, the majority of us would prefer to spend our Thanksgiving traditionally, the unfortunate circumstances of the current pandemic have made it impossible to continue what’s been tried and true.
On the other hand, partaking in Thanksgiving with almost all of your family members from the comfort of your own home (or couch!) is a luxury many of our ancestors no doubt wished they had.
The takeaway? COVID Thanksgiving might not be what we expected, but let’s try and enjoy ourselves regardless. The pandemic is going to be over, and at one point in the future, everything will go back to normal.
It’s just a matter of time.